Fire-escape.



C. E. GREEN. n T. G. BRASKBT.

FIRE ESCAPE. PPLIUATION rILED'Nov. 19.41908.

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Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

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C. E. GREEN & 'I'. G! BRASKET.

HRB ESGABR APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 19. 190s.

` Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Elftor/mm3 nnrrnn stri/iras rarnnrorrron CHARLES E. GREEN AND THOMAS C.BRASKET, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS QF ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE W.HOPPES, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES E. GREEN and THOMAS C. BRASKET, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison andState of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape, of whichthe following is a specication.

The invention relates to improvements in fire escapes.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction oflire escapes, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient fireescape, designed to be mounted interiorly of a building, and capable ofbeing readily swung outward through a window, or other opening andequipped with continuously operable means for permitting persons todescend to the ground.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fire escape of thischaracter, provided with a brake and governor for operating the brake toautomatically control the descent of a person, whereby persons will besafely and expeditiously lowered to the ground.

ith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claimshereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a fire escape,constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view,showing the other side of the lire escape, the governor being brokenaway. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.Fig. Il is a horizontal sectional view on the line l-l of Fig. 1. Fig. 5is a detail. sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is asectional view, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 isa sectional view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a detailperspective view of the guide block `or shoe. Fig. 9 is an enlargeddetail sectional view, illustrating the construction of the projectingguides.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 19, 1908.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909. Serial No. 463,439.

The fire escape comprises in its construe tion a horizontally swingingframe composed of extensible sections 1 and 2, adjustably securedtogether by screws 3, or other suitable fastening devices. The frame issubstantially oblong, and the section 2 is provided with upper andlowei` horizontal iianges 4: between which is arranged the attachedportion of the section 1. The screws 3 pierce the section l, and thesection 2 is provided at intervals with perforations 5 to afford thedesired adjustment of the frame. The section 1 is provided at its innerend with upper and lower arms 6, having approximately alined eyes 7 forthe reception of a vertical pintle 8, which is also arranged in eyes 9of L-shaped brackets 10, designed to be secured within a room orapartment to the window frame, or other suitable support, and located inthe horizont-al plane of the upper portion of the lower sash and adaptedto swing outward through the window, when the lower sash is raised forarranging the fire escape exteriorly of the building, or other structureto which it is applied. rlhe flanges 4; project from opposite sides ofthe section 2, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings, andstrengthen the said section 2. The other section 1 is reinforced byopposite longitudinal ribs 11, extending along the side faces of the armG and along the side portions of the frame, as clearly shown in Figs. land 2. The frames are constructed of open work metal, but may be of anyother desired construction to secure the necessary strength and thedesired lightness, as will be readily understood.

The frame is provided at the outer portion of the section 2 with abearing12 for the reception of a transverse shaft 13, carrying a spoolor drum 14- and supported at the outer end by a transversely disposedapproximatelyU-shaped bracket or supporting member l5, secured at itsends to the section 2 of the frame at the upper and lower edges thereofby screws 16, or other suitable fastening devices, as clearly shown inFig. 6 of the drawings. The U shaped supporting member is composed ofupper and lower horizontal arms or portions and a vertical connectingportion, which is provided with a central bearing 15a for the outer endof the shaft 13. The spool or drum, which is suitably ixed to thetransverse shaft 13, is provided at opposite sides with flanges 17, and

it receives a rope or cable 18, wound around the spool or drum asufhcient number of times to prevent it from slipping on the same and toinsure a positive rotary movement of the spool or drum, when the rope orcable is actuated by the weight of a person using the fire escape. Thewound portion 19 is located intermediate of the ends of the rope orcable, which is double acting or continuously operable, being soarranged that when one end portion is descending, the other end portionis ascending. lVhen one end of the rope or cable reaches the ground, theother end is returned to the drum or spool and is in position forimmediate use, so that it will be unnecessary to rewind the rope orcable after each descent before another descent can be effected.

The rope or cable passes through openings 20 of guide arms 21, extendingin opposite directions from a curved block or shoe 22, which alsocarries projecting roller guides 23. The block or shoe 22 is provided atits lower face with a rib 24, and is secured thereat upon the lowerportion of the U- shaped supporting member 15 by screws 25, which piercethe bottom portion of the supporting member and engage threaded openingsof the block or shoe 22. The upper face of the block or shoe is concaveand is spaced from the drum or spool a sufficient distance to clear therope or cable. The guide arms 21 have their inner ends fitted againstthe side edges or faces of the rib 24, and they are firmly secured tothe lower face of the guide block or shoe by means of bolts 26, whichalso form journals for the roller guides 23. By fitting the inner endsof the guide arms against the rib, they may be securely fastened to theblock or shoe 22 by a single fastening device, as the rib will preventthe arms 21 from turning. The pro- `iecting rollers engage the adjacentintermediate coils of the rope or cable at opposite sides of the spoolor drum a short distance from the points where the end portions of therope or cable leave the spool or drum, and they are located at the spacebetween the end portions of the rope or cable, as clearly illustrated inFig. 5 of the drawings. By maintaining the intermediate coils of therope or cable in proper position centrally of the spool or drum, therope or cable is enabled to run freely without binding or becomingtangled on the spool or drum. The shaft 13 also carries a relativelylarge spur gear wheel 27, which meshes with a spur pinion 28 of acounter shaft 29, journaled in suitable bearings 30 and 31 of the outersection of the frame and a substantially L-shaped supporting member 32.The L- shaped supporting member, which is arranged horizontally, issecured at one end by screws 33, or other suitable fastening devices tothe outer end of an arm 34 of the tends horizontally from the section 2of the frame, and it also supports a vertical arm 35, extending upwardlyand having a bracket 36 secured to it.

The bracket 36, which is provided with. a lower attaching portion,extends upwardly and outwardly in a direction transversely of the frame,and is provided at its outer end with a clamping collar 37, split at itsouter portion and provided thereat with projecting ears 38, which areconnected by a bolt 39. The arm 35 is provided at its edges withmarginal fianges, extending from opposite faces of the arm, and theflanges at one side are recessed to receive the attaching portion of thebracket 36. The collar 37 receives a vertically disposed tubular casingor sleeve 40, forming a bearing for a vertical governor' shaft 41,which-is connected at its lower end by bevel gearing with the countershaft 29. The sleeve or casing 40 is provided with an enlarged lower endor head 42, having a groove 43 at the bottom to form a race foranti-friction balls 44, interposed between the lower end or head of thesleeve or casing 40, and a bevel pinion 45, which is secured to thelower end of the shaft 41. The lower endofthe shaft is provided with anintegral cone bearing 46 to engage the anti-friction balls 45, and ithas a lower threaded extension for the reception of a nut 47 forsecuring the bevel pinion to the governor shaft. rl`he bevel pinion,which is disposed horizontally, meshes with a vertical bevel gear 48,keyed or otherwise secured to the transverse shaft 29. lVhen the drum orspool is rotated by the rope or cable, motion is communicated throughthe spur or bevel gearing to the vertical governor shaft.

Secured to the upper end of the Vgovernor shaft is a collar 49, providedwith opposite ears 50, arranged in pairs and receiving pivots 51 of theupper ends of the long governor arms 52, normally arranged at a slightinclination and equipped at their lower ends with balls 53, adapted tobe thrown outward by centrifugal force in the usual manner. The longarms 52 are connected by short arms or links 54 with a friction member55, consisting of a sleeve having a conical upper engaging portion 56,which fits within a conical or cup-shaped recess 57 of a friction member58, located above the friction member 55. The lower friction member 55,which is connected with the short arms or links of the governor, rotateson the sleeve or casing 40, being connected with the governor shaft,which rotates within the said sleeve or casing 40. When the balls orweights 53 are thrown outward through centrifugal force, the lowerfriction member is moved upward and carries with it the upper frictionmember 58, which is held against rotary movement by means of a screw 59,piercing the upper friction member and operating in a longitudinal slot60 of the sleeve or casing 40. The necessary frict-ion to check therotation of the spool or drum to control the descent of a person isproduced by means of a coiled spring 6l, disposed on the upper portionof t-he sleeve or casing 40 and interposed between the collar 49 and theupper friction member. As the friction members move upward, the springis compressed and increases the friction resulting from the engagementof the upper and lower friction members, and thereby retards the rotarymovement of the drum or spool. The ends of the rope or cable areequipped with suitable snap hooks 62, linked into suitable loops 63 ofthe ends of the rope or cable, and adapted to enable a belt or saddle tobe connected with the nre escape for the accommodation of the personusing the same.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A lire escape including a horizontally swinging frame provided at itsinner end with upper and lower horizontal arms and composed ofeXtensible inner and outer sections, one of the sections being providedat its upper and lower edges with horizontal guide flanges receiving theother section, fastening devices located between the flanges andpiercing the sections, a spool or drum mounted on the outer section ofthe frame, a rope or cable wound around the spool or drinn, and agovernor for controlling the rotary movement of the said spool or drum.

A fire escape including a horizontally swinging frame hinged at one endand having a horizontal arm at its other end, said frame being alsoprovided with a vertical arm extending upward from the horizontal arm, atransverse shaft journaled on the frame, a spool or drum mounted on thetransverse shaft, and a substantially U- shaped supporting membersecured to the frame and provided with a bearing receiving thetransverseshaft, a substantially L- shaped horizontally disposedsupporting member secured to the horizontal arm, a counter shaftjournalcd in the horizontal arm and in the L-shaped supporting member,gearing connecting the said shafts, a bracket secured to the verticalarm, a governor carried by the bracket, and gearing connecting thegovernor with the counter shaft.

3. A fire escape including a horizontally swinging frame, a spoolv ordrum, a fiexible connection arranged on the spool or drum, a bracketcarried by the frame and extending laterally therefrom and provided witha collar, a vert-ical sleeve mounted in the collar, a governor locatedabove the bracket and provided with a shaft journaled in the sleeve, andgearing for connecting the lower end of the shaft with the spool ordrum.

4f. A fire escape including a frame, a spool or drum, a exibleconnection arranged on the spool or drum, a vertical sleeve, a governorincluding a shaft journaled in the sleeve, a friction member mounted onthe sleeve and connected with the governor, and a spring actuatedfriction member slidably interlocked with the sleeve and coperating withthe said friction member, and gearing for connecting the governor shaftwith the spool or drum.

5. A nre escape including a frame, a spool or drum, a exible connectionarranged thereon, a vertical sleeve having a slot, pivoted governor armsequipped with weights and connected with the shaft, upper and lowerfriction members arranged on the sleeve, links connecting the lowerfriction member with the said arms, a spring engaging the upper frictionmember, and means carried by the upper friction member and extendinginto the slot of the sleeve for interlocking the said upper memberl withthe sleeve to prevent rotary movement.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoaffixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. GREEN. THOMAS C. BRASKET. Witnesses:

CHARLES R. Bacon?, Trios. BAGo'r.

